think of sulfur and something that's salty and rotten . . . and you get the Great Salt Lake!
Sunday, April 30, 2006
So, I finally went to the Great Salt Lake. After three years of living here in Utah, I visited that ever-so-putrid body of water and have lived to tell the tale. Well, technically, I had been there once before, but I didn't actually realize that I was there. Allow me to explain.
Freshman year, Elizabeth and I asked a couple of boys to the Preference dance (girl-ask-guy) and instead of going to the actual dance, we decided to have dinner in SLC and then bum around for the evening. We walked around the streets (posing like sculptures, occasionally), laughed and talked, visited Temple Square (which is kind of obligatory if you're Mormon and visiting SLC), and even stopped in at a Big K and bought a cheap ring to fake people out about an engagement involving Elizabeth and her date Nick.
Anyway, after walking around downtown, we got back in Nick's car and drove around. Someone suggested (jokingly, I believe), that we go find the Salt Lake. Well, we didn't have anything better to do, so that became the adventure of the night. We got to the Saltair Pavilion and decided that we were at least close, but we couldn't see ANYTHING in the darkness. There were some cement barriers that we were afraid to cross for fear of landing in two feet of a gucky, salty mess, so we threw rocks. We heard no splash. We concluded that we were PROBABLY there, but couldn't be sure.
Jump ahead two-and-a-half years and to yesterday.
Elizabeth and I were downtown SLC, eating lunch, and deciding what to do with our two hours of dead time before I took her to the airport. So, randomly, we decided to go back to the Salt Lake. We had no idea what direction we should go, so we stopped at a museum and got a tourist map. Turns out, it is very simple. Get on 80W and you're golden.
So, we take 80W and end up out at the Saltair Pavilion once more. This pavilion is an interesting place. Apparently, it used to look like this, but now looks more like this. And, here's a better-looking more artistic photo of the current building, during flooding, apparantly. As far as I can gather, this pavilion once was used as a ballroom/vacation spot of sorts. Now, it is a run-down place that looks very uninteresting. I'd like to go inside the building sometime and see what it's like. I'd also like to do more research on the old building and how it was used.
Since we were there in the daylight, we could clearly see that we were indeed, very close to the lake. We took pictures and had a generally enjoyable time.
We did not, however, swim in it. I'm actually very afraid of that water. "Putrid" is not an exaggeration, although I'm sure the intensified boyancy would be pretty neat. So, when I go back maybe I'll give it a shot. We'll see.
Trudging through the gooey salty mess that was supposedly known as the "shore".
Elizabeth tasting the lake.
Don't ask me why, but she wanted to.
Elizabeth's reaction to tasting the lake.
Not so good, eh?
Edge of the water.
Us.
Being silly.
And, being silly again.
Picture of Elizabeth through the weird
planet-things that were just sitting there . . .
posted by tuesday at 11:27 PM
15 Comments:
Bahahaha. I don't think that one picture of me fully expresses how gross the lake is, though. And you didn't post the one with the dead birds. So so so many dead birds.
hooray for walking across the country, finding salt lake, and stopping.
so can you deduce, now that you've been there, how far away from the lake you were the last time you were there?
that looks like a cool place to get married. i think when you get married you should have two ceremonies. one in the church, and one for, like, your nonmormon friends (ahem) in that pavilion. that'd be sweet!
It's called a temple, britta. A temple.
I didn't post the picture of the dead birds 'cause I thought it was pretty morbid. Bleh.
The first time, we were probaby . . . 50ft, maybe? Depends on the time of year as far as how high the water level is. The water was probably closer in October (which was the month last time we went . . . or it might have been November . . . I can't quite recall) because of all the mountain run-off in the summer. When the water is lower, there this rim of sticky salty sandy gross stuff with dead birds and other debris around the lake. It varies in thickness at different parts of the shore, but my guess is that in October, it was 50ft or less. Perhaps Elizabeth has a different estimate.
I will not be getting married in Utah. Mark my words. And, I'll have a reception for my non-Mormon friends. Is that not enough?
yeah that's enough. i just thought it was a cool building. SOMEONE should get married there. maybe you can convince someone to do that while you're at byu.
oh, and is a temple not a church as well?
I really don't feel qualified to field this one, but I believe it is also a church, but that there is a difference between a church and a temple. Jenn?
yeah, "church" and "temple" aren't interchangeable, but i think that "temple" would be within the lexical boundary of "church" (just as it is within the physical boundary of a church).
but maybe not. maybe when you enter the temple you're no longer in a church. i'd be surprised if that were the case.
Oh, I see what you're getting at. In that case, you're right. I agree. And so forth.
Well, I'm not sure I can explain this very well. For one thing, I've not been in all parts of a temple, but I can tell you the basic differences. A church is a meetinghouse where we hold the weekly worship meetings, take the sacrament, and have classes (i.e. Sunday School). Also a good place for social functions like potlucks or youth activities like dances. Temples, on the other hand, are far more revered buildings. One must hold a temple recommend to enter past the lobby and the main purpose of the building is to complete ordinances. (Marriage too, of course, but that falls under the category of an ordinance when done in the temple.) Ordinances are a form of worship, but it's not the sort of worship you find in a sacrament meeting. Also, we can do ordinance work by proxy for those who have died in the temple. Like I said, I've only done one sort of ordinance in the temple, so I don't know all the details yet. But, those are the basics.
Oddly enough, from what I know, I wouldn't classify a temple as a "church". I suppose it fits looking at it from a non-Mormon standpoint or even technically, but the temple is so much more important that I wouldn't ever think of it as a church. Of course, temples in the early days of the church were used for more things than ordinances. I know the Kirtland Temple was used as a school as well as a meetinghouse. Just a bit of (possibly) interesting information for you.
hmm. i guess i assumed that temples also had church components to them. i guess they only have the temple part and the lobby. i was under the impression that the temple was a super revered area within certain churches. i guess i am wrong. i accept my wrongness.
at what point in a temple's life does it become extra holy? like, when they're building it? can only mormons build a temple? or does it occur in some sort of ceremony after its built?
and don't they have to let, like, fire inspectors and whatnot in once in a while too?
Well, the temple has components that are similar to churches . . . they have chapels, but they aren't used for sacrament services and are smaller. Just for your information. But yeah, the temples are pretty much completely seperate from the churches.
After each temple is built, there is a temple dedication ceremony in which the prophet comes to dedicate it. After that ceremony (which includes the dedicatory prayer), the temple becomes sacred. I don't know who builds all the temples (as far as if they are members or not) but I'm pretty sure that the decorators and craftsmen who design the details on the interiors are members.
And, as far as fire inspectors and janitors and things like that, I think they try to get members with temple recommends (the thing you get after interviewing with your bishop that lets you past the lobby) do all those sorts of jobs.
There is a website here that has information and a couple FAQs. And, you could call me and ask questions. It's always nice to talk to you.
Ooh, ooh, pick me, pick me! I would call! Except, my throat feels like fire and I have completely lost my voice. Lame!
uh, yeah, no. gimme a week and i'm all yours, but i got, like, y'know, FINALS.
blaarhf.
Ah, that's right. Sorry to hear about the finals. I'd forgotten. Good luck and all the best --- etc, etc.
Was that last part impersonal? I didn't mean for it to sound impersonal.
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